Electric meter.



M. HELM. ELECTRIC METER. APPLICATION FILED MAY24.1912.

L15?,937. Patented 001;. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Fig.1.

1 172 TNESSES JAZYEA/TUR MAX HELM,

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M. HELM.

ELECTRIC METER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. m2.

[ZVYEZYTUH MAX HELM Mam/E5555 COLUMBIA I'LANDORAI'H co.. WASHINGTON, u. c.

. lan" onion MAX I-IELM, 0F FANEKOW, ASSIGLNOQR TO"GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A GGRPORATIO-N OF YORK.

ELEGTRJC METER.

Specification-of Iietters Batent.

l atentedwet. 216, i915.

Applicationmed May 24., 1912. Serial No. 699,481.

The object of my invention 'is to provide a construction of meter which Willlaut'o'matically control the amount of energy metered or delivered for a certain.coin-value,;according as the energy being ,consumed is for power purposes, or for lighting purposes, or for both. i

Alurther object of my invention is :to provide in combination with an electric rmeter operatively related to a pl'ura'lity'oi'fload circuits means including a'demand device for changing the rate of registration of the meter when the demand of one of the load circuits undergoes a predetermined change.

It is convenient and customary to speak of the amount of energy metered or delivered for a coin-unit, or a certain coin-value, as the unit value"-02t the meter. "The purpose of my invention is, therefore, to so control the unit-value of the meter that it wtll'be automatically increased or decreased'in' accordance with predetermined conditions of consumption. 7

The load curve of the ordinary central station shows that the demand 'for electricity is greatest during the evening hours of the day. This is of course due 'to'theffact that the consumption of electricity for lighting purposes during these hours is very great. It is desirable to reduce the'consum'ption of electricity for power purposes to as [small an amount as possible during theperliod of maximum consumption for lighting purposes. I propose to accomplish this result by so metering the electricity consumed for both power and lighting purposes .that the consumer will be induced 'tota ke no energy forpower purposes when he is ,using energy for lighting purposes. I provide one meter for regulating the consumption of electricity for both power and lighting purposes. When no energy is being consumed for lighting purposes the meter operates at a certain unit value, that s, a certain definite quantity of electricity is metered or delivered for a coin-unit. When, however, energy is being consumed for lighting purposes the unit value of the meter is automatically decreased, and a smaller quantity of electricity is metered or delivered for the same coin-unit. The consumer is of course always at liberty to take energy for both purposes, but since he recelves a smaller quantity of electricity for the same coin-unit when any energy is being consumed for lighting purposes he is in duced to use little or no energy for power 7 purposes at the timehe is using energy for lighting purposes.

For a better understanding oi my invention in its application to a prepayment-else tric meter, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lshows diagrammatically one construction of meter involving the novel features of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a modification thereof.

In Fig. "l of the drawings, there is shown an electric motor v neter of any preferred construction havinga rotary shaft 1. In operative relation with this shaft, as will be more fully described, is a difierential gearlngcomprising the sidegear members 2 and .and the planetary gearQ. A lrnob A is connected to the planetarygearfl in the well known manner, and upon the introduction of a coin and the turning of the knob onehalf of a revolution, the switch 13 is closed and the gear 2 rotated one revolution. The gear 3 is rotated by the shaft 1, through intermediate gearing, and operates to turn the gear 2 in a reverse direction so as to open the switch whena certain quantity of electricity has been metered. These features embody a well known type of'prepayment meter and formno part of my invention.

A power load and a lighting load is illustrated at C and '1) respectively. The, current taken by the lighting load flows through vthe coil of an electromagnet 4, which thus constitutes the current responsive element of a demand device. 'ln cooperation with .the electromagnet is a pivoted armature 5, normally held in the position shown in the figure by a spring 6. A

by the current of the power circuit.

bar 7 connects the armature to a shaft 7 One end of this shaft carries a gear 3 which is always connected through a suitable train 7 gear 10 into mesh with a gear 11. The gears 9 and 11 are connected through intermediate and similar gearing to the meter shaft 1, so that a rotation of the latter is communicated to each of these gears. Both gears operate to turn the shaft 7 in the same direction, but since gear 10 is smaller than gear 8,

the shaft will rotate more rapidly, for a uniform'rotation of the meter shaft, when gears 10 and 11 are in mesh. The unit value of the meter is, therefore, smaller when gears 10 and 11 areenga'ged'than it is when gears 8 and 9 are engaged. Thischange 1n the unit value of the meter is effected by the current flowing in the lighting circuit, and

it is evident that by a suitable adjustment of the'spring 6, the change can be effected when any current, however small, is used for lighting purposes, or when'the. current used forthis purpose exceeds a certain predetermined value.

In Fig. 21 have shown a demand device comprising an .electromagnet and cooperating armature in both the lighting and power circuits. The parts in cooperation with the electromagnet of thelighting cir- "cuit are identical with those described in connection withFig. 1 and are represented by the same reference characters. In Fig. 2 the bar 7 is connected near one end of a shaft 16, both of whose ends are adapted to be swung through a small angle. Near the other end of the shaft 16 is connected a bar .15 cooperating with thearmature 12 ofthe electromagnet 13 which is energized A spring 14 is connected to the armature and tends normally, through the bar 15, to hold a gear 19, on the shaft 16, in engagement with a gear 20. The shaft 16 carries a second and smaller gear 17 which is pushed intoeng'agement with 'a gear 18 when the armature 12 is attracted by its electromagnet, the gears 19 and 20 being at thesame time disengaged. The gears 18 and 20 are,

through suitable and similar gearing, connec'ted to the gearing; r

The spring 14: canbe so tensioned that the armature 12 will be attracted by its electromagnet when any current is being gear 3 of the differential used for power purposes, or only when current is used for power purposes in excess of a certain predetermined quantity. the gears 17 and 18 are in mesh, the unit value of the meter is smaller than when the gears 19 and 20 are in mesh, and the change of the unit value is dependent upon the current conditions of the power circuit. By the use of a demand device such as an electromagnet in both the lighting and power circuits it is possible to provide the meter with a plurality of unit values, and the change in unit value of the meter can be effected upon change in current con ditions in either the lighting or power circuits or both.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. The combination with an electric meter, of a plurality of load circuits, and means independent of the motive elements of the meter for changing the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits when the electrical condition of one of the circuits undergoes a predetermined change.

2. The combination with a plurality of load circuits, of an electric meter adapted to meter at the same unit value the total combined amount of energy simultaneously supplied to said circuits, and means independent of the motive elements of the meter for changing the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits when the electrical condition of one of said circuits undergoes a predetermined change.

3. The combination with an electric meter, of a power circuit and a lighting circuit, and means independent of the motive elements of the meter for changing the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits when the electrical condition of the lighting circuit undergoes a predetermined change.

4. The combination with a plurality of load circuits, of an electric meter adapted to meter at the same unit value the total combined amount of energy simultaneously supplied to said circuits, and a demand device operatively included in one of said circuits and adapted when the electrical condition of said circuit undergoes a predetermined change to alter the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits.

5. The combination with a power circuit and a lighting circuit, of an electric meter adapted to meter at the same unit value the total combined amount of energy simultaneously supplied to said circuits, and means independent of the motive elements of the meter for changing the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits when the curlVhen rent in the lighting circuit exceeds a predetermined value.

6. The combination with a plurality of load circuits, of an electric meter adapted to meter at the same unit value the total combined amount of energy simultaneously supplied to said circuits, and means independent of the motive elements of the meter for changing the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits when the electrical condition of either one of said circuits undergoes a predetermined change.

7. The combination with an electric meter adapted to operate at a plurality of unit values, of a plurality of load circuits, a demand device in each of said circuits and responsive to changes in the electrical condition of the circuits for changing the unit value 01": the meter when the electrical condition of any circuit undergoes a predetermined change.

8. The combination with a plurality of load circuits, of an electric meter adapted to meter at the same unit value the total combined amount-of energy simultaneously supplied to said circuits, a device operatively related to one of said circuits and responsive to changes in the electrical condition of said circuit, and means in operative relation to said device for changing the unit value of the meter with respect to the energy supplied to both of said circuits when the electrical condition of the circuit to which the device is operatively related undergoes a predetermined change.

9. The combination with an electric meter adapted to operate at a plurality of unit values, of a plurality of load circuits, an

electromagnet in each of said circuits, armatures for said electromagnets, and means in operative relation with said armatures for controlling the unit value at which the meter operates in accordance with the electrical condition prevailing in said circuits.

10. The combination with an electric meter adapted to operate at a plurality of unit values, of a power circuit and a lighting circuit, a demand device in said power circuit for changing the unit value of the meter when the current in the power circuit exceeds a predetermined value, and a second demand device in said lighting circuit for changing the unit value of the meter when the current in the lighting circuit exceeds a predetermined value.

11. The combination with an electric meter adapted to operate at a plurality of unit values, of a power circuit and a lighting circuit, a current responsive device in said power circuit, means operatively re lated to said current responsive device for changing the unit value of the meter when the current in the power circuit exceeds a predetermined value, a second current responsive device in said lighting circuit, and means in operative relation with said second current responsive device for changing the unit value of the meter when the current in the lighting circuit exceeds a predetermined value.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, 1912.

MAX HELM.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH FIRELL, HENRY HASPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

